I am calling these Korean rice rolls sushi because at first glance, they do resemble the

Japanese rolls that Westerners associate with sushi. But kimbap (or gimbap) is not considered
fine or fancy fare in Korea, it's actually picnic and snack food that you eat with your hands.
Traditional fillings include seasoned vegetables, egg, meat and/or imitation crab, but these
days anything goes. From Seoul to NYC, fillings range from cheesy to spicy to fresh. Kimbap
is like the Korean version of a sandwich- you can change the filling to fit any diet, palate, or
occasion.

Kim or gim means dried seaweed in Korean, and bap or bop means rice. Chamchi (tuna in
Korean) is filled with tuna and other vegetables, kimchi kimbap features kimchi as one of its
stars, Chungmu kimbap is a rice-only roll from the city of Chungmu in Korea.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Dried seaweed (nori)- 4 sheets

2 cups cooked rice
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp salt
TRADITIONAL FILLINGS
1 carrot, julienned
cucumber, cut into long strips
2 eggs
beef (bulgogi)
1/2 pound of spinach, parboiled
pickled radish, cut into strips
imitation crab (optional)
fishcake (optional)
ALTERNATE POPULAR FILLING SUGGESTIONS:
smoked salmon and cream cheese
kimchi and cheese
spam, mayo, and veggies
ham and cheese
tuna salad with romaine lettuce and cheese
fresh or seasoned vegetables for vegetarians

Preparation:

1. When rice is almost cooled, mix with sesame oil and salt.

2. Stir fry carrots briefly with a dash of salt.

3. Stir fry cucumber with a dash of salt.

 4. Whisk eggs until evenly yellow and fry into flat omelet.

5. Cut cooked egg into long strips.

6. Cook bulgogi according to recipe directions.

7. Using a bamboo sushi roller or a piece of tin foil, lay the dried seaweed shiny side
down.

8. Spread about cup of rice onto 2/3 of the seaweed, leaving the top 1/3 bare (if you
moisten your fingers or a spoon to pat down the rice, you'll get less of a sticky mess).

9. Lay the first ingredient down around 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the
seaweed.

10. Lay the other fillings down on top.

11. Roll from the bottom (as if you're rolling a sleeping bag), pressing down to make the
fillings stay in.

12. As you continue to roll, pull the whole thing down towards the end of the bamboo
mat.

13. Spread a tiny dab of water along the top seam to hold the roll together.

14. Set aside and continue with other seaweed sheets.

15. Cut each roll into 7-8 pieces.

(Serves 4)
* In the photo here, I cut the seaweed in half to make bite-size rolls for my children.
User Reviews

Reviews for this section have been closed.

5 out of 5
Just wanted to add..., Member fujishimaakiko

Sushi is not seen as fine or fancy fare in Japan either. It's a snack food to us, however in the
West they do find it fancy which is kind of funny to us. Just wanted to add that, as the way
this is written, it makes it sound like sushi is something special in Japan... when in fact
having sushi is like going to McDonald's... ^__^ As for the Kimbap... I often make this for
my Korean friends when they visit for something to nibble on. ^__^
MY AUNT IS MY MOTHER
By Nofrita Negoro

When my mother was born I do not know

every year to grow my children who are hungry for love
passed more passes
I own no accompanying

But then I found you

take care, look after me, love me
My happy with your
very happy

You should call my aunt my mother

I was sad when you are gone
today was my day so lonely without you
Did aunt want you to be my mother?

Aunt said "anytime may call mom"

I was amazed to hear
my day filled with fun day
until you are old and frail

Until the end of life

mother will still love me
in time, wherever and whenever
I'm proud of you .. my mother's aunt
BESTFRIEND
By Gan'ds Abadi

Smile ..
your smile make me happy .
when we laugh together .
i fell happy when we share the pain .
because you are my bestfriend .
sometimes i fell sad because u make me heard .
but i know you'llbe my bestfriend .

Friend ..
thanks foe erevything .
erevything tou can do and do it for me .
I LOVE U ALL .
A LETTER TO A FRIEND
By Mych Ryan

Its always hurt to see you cry

To see tears falling like rain from the sky
And theres no answer for why
I never question myself, I never try
Its always hurt to know theres nothing I can do
And fact that I dont even know what to do
Its so sad but so true
Feels like the color blue

Someday well see we were wrong

And then we realize the day has done
Time wont turn back, its no use to regret
Its not easy to say good bye, but someway we have to try

Sometimes its hurt to remember

About the days we had together
And a piece of heart inside me
Carved with your smile, you can see

It was the day when I used to care

Think about you, anytime, anywhere
The day when I used to drive you home
When the night was so cold and you were alone

Thats just history, saved properly in my memory

Now we are so far and so different, and yet so silent.
No voices when you say, just few words on my display
Thats OK. Thanks anyway.

PS. Im sad about the problem you had

But dont worry my friend,
Ill be the man when you look behind
THE LAST DATE WITH THE MOON
By Mych Ryan

Here I am, standing in the brink of the day

Staring at the sun that has gone away
And a smile upon your face,
Make me never wanna leave this place

There you are, hardly I can see cause you just so far
I see your eyes blinking, are you a star?
But I remember you said youre a moon
So I should have seen you soon

And here we are now,

You come to me somehow
You are getting closer and closer,
But why I feel like a stranger?

I remember,
Its been 365 nights since the last goodbye
Its too long for me, thats the reason why
Now please come down, get lower
Im on the top of the tower and cant go higher
I have something to say to you
I need to tell you, that I wanna stop loving you
______________
February 5, 2010
THE MOON HAS FALLEN
By Mych Ryan

Nothing to say, the rain drifted my words away

No place to stay, the love was taken away
The moon has fallen, the heart has broken
Im here, fighting against my own demon

The fight of good and bad,

Happy and sad
Love and hate,
But I think its too late.

Looks like the demons win,

Theyre laughing loud on my sins

Now Im waiting for forgiveness

From you, not from others
Thousands rivers wont be enough to wash me
From my sins, and from all the demons in me
______________
February 7, 2010
A LETTER TO GOD
By Jayafran

Dear God,
I am sorry not to take the path You made
My forgiveness to obey the spoke You whisper
My apologized to ignore Your prohibition
I am sorry to travel alone without Your guide

Dear God,
Maybe I am to proud to myself
My confidence to choose all my path alone
This greed that wanting more than I need
The selfish arrogant ungraceful man

Now I am lost in the middle of nowhere

Stand between the dark cold scary valley
This darkness makes me loose my sight
The fog does not allowed me to see the light

Dear God,
Slowly my conscious turn to madness
This eyes getting blurry and shaded
The sound of nature fading away I can not hear
My body is numb I can not even stand

Dear God,
I know I just a sinner
Disgrace my self with all my sins
Throw away your blessing grace
Now I just turn into something I am not

Dear God,
Please take my soul away
To take Your undying conviction
I do not deserve to live this life no more
The demon has own my soul forever
I HOPE I CAN FORGET YOU, SOON
By Indah D Panjaitan

I dont know, why I should thingking like that

Is about you and only you
I dont know why I love you so much and miss you much

Every time I see you in my mind

And
Every night I see you in my dreams
I dont know why I should thingking about you
Sometimes, Im so doubt so Ill never forget you for forever
Have more time I tried to do it
But I cant (forget) do it
Although I have to try
I dont know why, are you same like me??
Are you know, I always make our story to my poetry
Whenever I create my poetry, I cried
Sometimes, I regret to meet you because I things to meet you is the happy moment.
And it make Im so difficult to forget you and these moment

If I know all of will like that, I never want to know you more and more
The fact, I never wish for you to love me
I never thought that you must know about my mind.
But ever, I have mind so you thing like me.

Have you ever know, if I read my poetry Ill be down

I smiling to remind these last time, sad moment, sweet moment, until the seriously moment
I miss the times and want to back to the last
WHERE CAN I LIFE
By Aslam Yusuf

I runway from my life

Hope that i can find the paradise
But i think it so hard
I am going to the hell

Maybe i take a wrong way

But no way back to star again
My distination still so far
And too fast if i think to going home

I just wanna do
Work for life not life for work
just wanna find the new place
Where can i life
All i wanna want
Where I can get the better life
For anything that i do
I wanna make it true

Sometime i feel so alone

And no one here to tell
I am finally now believe the feel
Couse it so hard
Couse it's so far

This is my time to change my word from the pain

\
SuJeongGwa (Korean Cinnamon Punch)
While most of you are welcoming spring arrival, I am enjoying the cooled down weather and
autumns seasonal fruit. (It feels like Im going against the crowd! I feel left out. Haha)
Today Im introducing SuJeongGwa (, Korean Cinnamon Punch), which I am sure
you heard of before. I intended to make this on Lunar New Years Day as a dessert drink, like
a month ago! My busyness got carried on with other food and I didnt get to make it then.

Sujeonggwa is a popular traditional dessert drink along with Sikhye (Sweet rice drink). Its
particularly consumed during the festive holidays such as New Years Day and Korean Moon
Festival (Chuseok, also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day). It is known to help digestion
and maybe thats why its often served after having Korean BBQ at a restaurant.

Sujeonggwa can be drunk hot or cold, but I personally think cold is the way to go! It has a
dark brown colour, though, as I added raw sugar instead of brown sugar, mine doesnt look as
dark as it could. The drink is sweet and the combined aroma from ginger and cinnamon sticks
gives a warm feeling even though I am drinking it icy cold!

Why not try this recipe for a festive Easter holiday next week? Or you can save it until your
next autumn or New Years Day, which is another a year away. Happy cooking! xo

Ingredients for 20 servings (It will give about 5.25L of punch, which can be stored in a
bottle in a fridge for a couple of days)

(Prep time: 5 mins, Cooking time: 1 hour)

70g cinnamon sticks

100g fresh ginger
2 cup sugar (I used raw sugar, however brown sugar is commonly used)
22 cup water
Pine nuts (optional)
Dried chinese dates (optional)
Dried persimmon (optional)

Steps (Numbers in the picture below dont coincide with the written steps.)
1. Clean and peel the ginger. Then thinly slice it. Put it into a large sauce pan. Add 11 cups of
water, close the lid, then boil it on medium heat for 40 mins.
2. Rinse the cinnamon sticks in cold water. Put them into a separate large sauce pan. Add 11
cups of water, close the lid, then boil it on medium heat for 40 mins.
3. After 40 mins, get ready another large sauce pan (it should be large enough to hold the
combined boiled water from step 1 and 2). Drain the boiled ginger and cinnamon sticks in
turn through the sieve. (Discard the ginger and cinnamon sticks).
4. Add the sugar into the sauce pan (from step 3) and boil it for 10 to 20 mins further on high
heat (or until the sugar dissolves completely).
5. Cool down the punch for a couple of hours before you serve. (or you can express cool it in a
sink by putting the plug in and filling it with cold water and lots of ice cubes and let the sauce
pan sit in it for a half an hour or so.)
6. When you think its cool enough, you can serve it and enjoy! (I garnished mine with pine
nuts and dried chinese dates. Unfortunately I couldnt find ANY dried persimmon here. If you
are able to add the dried persimmon put them into the drink at least 1 hour before you drink
it, so it softens and release the fruity flavour into the drink.)
Best way to enjoy Sujeonggwa (Korean Cinnamon Punch)

Sujeonggwa tastes best when served cold and I think it tastes even better if its icy cold. So
as you can see from the below picture, after express cooling down the sauce pan (from
step 5), I lightly freeze some Sujeonggwa (about 6 cups worth) in the freezer for 4 to 5 hours.
Ice should be only lightly formed. However if it is fairly firm, you can easily crush the ice a bit
with a fork.
 While its optional, adding the optional ingredients (pine nuts, dried chinese dates and dried
persimmon) when you serve the drink will definitely enhance the flavour and scent.